Chibi Ninjas!
by recodan
Summary: An fic set in the acadmey days. Majorly AU as far as plot. NON-EMO SASUKE CENTRIC FIC.
1. Chapter 1

The alarm clock rang for less than a second before Sasuke turned it off. With the speed of a excited eight year old he leapt from his bed, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Why? Because today, he started at the Ninja Academy.

Last night he had laid out his clothes so he could get dressed as quickly as possible, so he was out of his room only a minute later. He checked his backpack one last time, making sure every notebook, pencil, lock pick, and tool was accounted for before making his way to the kitchen and taking a seat at the table for breakfast.

His mother, Mikoto, was already making breakfast, just like always. She smiled as he entered, giving him the look of approval any mother would give a child eager to go to school. Sasuke had always been closer to his mother than father, as Fugaku had more interest in Sasuke's genius brother, Itachi.

A fact he was reminded of when his father entered, said hello to his wife, and sat down to read the paper without so much as looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke shook of the neglect with ease. He knew that for now, he would never capture his fathers attention. The Uchiha trained their children before sending them off to the academy, and while Sasuke had done well, he didn't match Itachi's skill at his age. However, he was determined to rise to his brothers level and had resolved to practice as hard as he could at school. He was, no matter what, going to earn his fathers approval.

" Here you are, sweetie." said Mikoto, putting a bowl of rice with a fried egg in front of him.

" Thanks, mom." Sasuke said with a nod and a smile before digging in. A few moments later Itachi entered wearing his ANBU uniform, save the mask, and took a seat at the table.

" Itachi." said Sasuke's father, putting down the newspaper. " I hear you are being offered promotion to ANBU captain."

" Yes." said Itachi succinctly. He had never been talkative.

" It will be useful to have a family member high in that organization." said Fugaku with a nod. Though his father didn't notice him often, Sasuke was proud of his father. He was head of the Uchiha and the Military Police and a powerful man in the village.

Though, Sasuke looked up to his brother more.

" I need to get to the office." said Fugaku, standing up. " There is some paperwork I would like to finish early. I trust I will have the full details about your promotion tonight?" he asked Itachi.

" Oh, dear," said Mikoto, interrupting her husband. " Today is Sasuke's first day at the academy. I was hoping you'd walk him."

" I don't have time." said Fugaku, walking towards the hall.

_Like always._ thought Sasuke with a hidden sigh.

" I am not entirely sure I will accept that promotion yet." said Itachi, meeting Sasuke's gaze for a moment. Sasuke gasped, but quickly smiled. His brother occasionally was able to prod his father into spending time with him, a fact that made him admire him more.

" Fine." sighed Fugaku. He had been hit with this tactic before. Itachi nodded to Sasuke, indicating he should go. Feeling like he would explode from joy, Sasuke raced into the hall and donned his shoes and backpack while his father got ready.

" And here's your lunch." said his mother, walking out with the bento. " Red curry and dumplings."

_My favorite._ thought Sasuke, taking the box and hugging his mother. " Thanks mom."

" Let's go." said Fugaku, walking out the door. With one last look to his mother Sasuke followed his father outside and down the street.

The Uchiha complex was actually a small sub-district in the village. The clan was large and powerful, with nearly two hundred members. Those without the ability to activate the Sharingan ran shops in the district, but most of the Uchiha could activate their eyes first and second tomoe and were ninja. Sasuke's family was of the leading line, the only with the ability to activate all three tomoe and abilities in their eyes.

Other than the Sharingan Thief, Kakashi, but Sasuke knew he could get in trouble for even thinking about him in his fathers presence, so he didn't dwell on the thought long.

Sasuke and his father received many warm looks and nods as they made their way though the district and village. Everyone liked to see a new Uchiha going to train as a ninja, and everyone liked to see the head of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke liked how his family kept the village safe, taking the role of the head clan since the Sarutobi went into decline.

Though, admittedly, the Sarutobi were only weaker because there were few of them.

As the academy came into view, Sasuke had to force himself to keep his composure. He knew it wouldn't do for him to act like the Inuzuka boy he could see, who was running around with a puppy and yelling loudly. He had to present him properly as a member of his clan.

_Though what is proper seems to vary a lot._ he thought with a smirk, looking at the Nara clan head and his son, who were napping under a tree, and the Akimachi pair who was eating a box of doughnuts messily.

" Fugaku Uchiha." said a tall man in a trench coat that Sasuke recognized as the head of the Aburmae, addressing Sasuke's father. There was a pint sized copy of the man in matching shades standing next to him, looking as stoic as his father. " Your son is beginning his education as well?"

" Yes." replied Fugaku, sounding like he didn't want to be there.

" There are a lot of clan heads here." said Sasuke, looking though the playground. His class was going to have a abnormally large number of members of Kohona's most famous ninja clans in it.

" Which means you will be challenged." said his father, looking down to him. Sasuke looked his father in the eyes. " You will work as hard as you can and be the best in your class."

It was not a suggestion, but a order.

" I will, dad." said Sasuke with a smile. His father didn't reply, choosing instead to strike up a conversation with the Aburmae man. Though he wanted to go play, Sasuke knew he should stand by his father.

_Inuzuka…Hyuuga…._Sasuke was looking though the students, picking out the notable ones. There were a number that had noticed him as well, such as a Yamanaka and a girl with pink hair, who were watching him, whispering to each other, and giggling. _This is great._ he thought. _Itachi didn't have anyone like this in his class to practice again. I'll be able to get better a lot faster!_

He turned to say something to his father, but noticed a man in white robes walking down the street towards them, smoking a pipe. He blinked twice before he could accept it.

" Dad, the Hokage's here." he said, nudging his father. Fugaku turned and looked, looking surprised when he saw the old man. A hush fell over everyone as they noticed him as well.

" Now, I think you'll like school." said the Hokage as he got closer. Sasuke wondered who he was talking to for a moment until the reply came.

" I won't." said a voice from behind him. " Everyone'll hate me."

" Oh come now, Naruto." said the Hokage, blowing out a cloud of smoke. At the mention of the name, every one of the adults tensed. " I'm sure they will like you just fine."

" No they won't." replied a small boy, poking his head out from behind the Hokage to peek at everyone. " They'll just throw me out like…"

" They will do no such thing," said the Hokage, coming to a halt and turning to the boy. " Unless you cause problems."

" I don't do anything." said the boy quietly, facing the Hokage. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and orange shorts and had blonde, spiky hair. There were strange tattoo's on his face that resembled whiskers.

" I know you don't." the Hokage said, ruffling Naruto's hair.

" Hokage-sama." said Fugaku, walking forward. Sasuke knew his father and the Hokage were political opponent, but he didn't know what they argued about.

" Now, go play with the other children." the Hokage told Naruto, ignoring Fugaku.

" I don't want to." said Naruto, looking to the ground. " I'll get yelled at."

" Nonsense." said the Hokage, pushing him towards the playground. The boy gave him a smile and a nod and went towards the swing, where he sat down alone and began to swing slightly. The Hokage watched him and the others playing with a grandfatherly look.

" Hokage-sama." repeated Sasuke's father. The Hokage gave him a amused look.

" Oh, Fugaku. I didn't see you there." said the Hokage, giving Fugaku a friendly smirk. " Oh, and this must be young Sasuke." said the old man, looking down to Sasuke. " He's starting this year?"

" Yes." growled Fugaku. Sasuke knew his father liked to direct the conversation.

" Good, good." said the Hokage. " Oh, Choza, Shibi, you have children in this class? My my."

" It is quite the crop this year." said the pudgy Akimachi with a nod.

" I hope I'm up to it." said a man with a scar on his nose, walking over. " I'm Iruka, the teacher. Quite a class to be taught by a new teacher."

" You'll do just fine, Iruka." said the Hokage. " Though, I worry about the old class prankster becoming a educator."

" Yeah, I do too." said Iruka with a chuckle. " But don't worry, I'll only teach them how to kill each other and use chakra to kill each other faster. Nothing dangerous like how to set a bucket of water on a door."

Sasuke's jaw hung open as the Hokage and teacher began to laugh. _Iruka's….not really the teacher type._ he thought.

" Oh, Mizuki!" said the Hokage, face lighting up as the white haired man joined them. Sasuke knew the man well. There were few non-Uchiha that his father considered ideal ninja, but Mizuki was one. According to his father Mizuki put the mission first, about the lives of him and his comrades, like a proper ninja should. Sasuke was rather excited at the prospect of being taught by him.

" Hokage-sama." Mizuki said with a bow. " Don't worry. I'll make sure Iruka doesn't mess up."

" He always does." said Iruka with a laugh. " Sorry, but it's time for class to start. Everyone inside!" he said, opening the classroom door. Sasuke raced inside eagerly as his father departed with the other parents.

" Welcome to the academy." said Iruka, beginning the class. He was standing in the front of the classroom. " First, I'd like to ask you something. You are here to train to be a genin. Why? I want you each to tell the class your name and reason for becoming a ninja."

" My name is Sasuke Uchiha." said Sasuke eagerly. " I'm here because I want to become as strong as my brother Itachi." There were a few murmurs and whispers, as Itachi was quite famous.

The other students quickly followed, with reasons such as " to live the good life" from the Nara and incomprehensible stuttering from the Hyuuga. Finally, it came to the last student, Naruto, who Sasuke was rather curious about.

" Naruto Uzamaki." said the blonde, trying to sink in his seat. He didn't seem to like the attention the class was giving him. " I-I'm here because ojiisan told me to come."

Sasuke's eyes bugged. _The Hokage is his grandfather?_

" Right." said Iruka, a hint of hidden anger in his voice. " By ojiisan do you mean the Hokage?"

" Y-yes, sensei." said Naruto, looking afraid.

" He is not your grandfather." said Iruka. " Do not lie about something like that."

" I-I didn't…" Naruto began, but then he sunk in his chair so that Sasuke could barely see him. _What is he so scared of?_ wondered Sasuke, turning his attention back forwards. It was only then that he noticed Iruka had a scowl on his face and Mizuki's compassionate smile had vanished. It was readily apparent they did not like Naruto, but Sasuke hadn't even the faintest clue why.

The teachers then continued the lesson, giving them the overview of what they would be learning and their introductions. Iruka would be teaching history, tactics, and ninjutsu, while Mizuki would run them though physical exercises and taijutsu. After the lesson they were taken outside by Mizuki to their classes training ground.

" Normally, we'd do laps and stretches for at least a hour." said Mizuki once they were assembled on the grass field. " Then taijutsu forms and sparing practice. But today I'm going to assess you so I know what skills you already have. Most students have already done training with their families, but if you haven't, just tell me. It's not a problem. Who wants to go first?"

" I do." said Sasuke, walking forwards with his hands in his pockets, a pose he'd always thought looked cool. Mizuki nodded and looked to the other students.

" Who else?" he asked. No answer came, so he began to look though the crowd. " Naruto." he said, his eyes falling on the boy who had been hiding in the back.

" I-I don't…"

" I'm sure you'll be a natural." said Mizuki with a smile, cutting Naruto off. Sasuke thought he detected sarcasm in the teachers voice. Naruto walked over and faced Sasuke, and for the first time Sasuke realized the boy was very small.

" Begin." said Mizuki, writing on a clipboard. Sasuke lunged forward, racing towards Naruto. To his surprise, Naruto turned and ran. It seemed strange to retreat since there was nowhere on the field to go, but Sasuke guessed Naruto had some plan. He put on a extra burst of speed and caught up with the fast boy, swinging a kick at his legs. Naruto leapt over nimbly and skidded to a halt.

_He's agile._ thought Sasuke, facing Naruto and sinking into a stance that would be good for attack and defense. Naruto stood facing him, and by the position of his feet Sasuke could tell he was planning to dodge. Wanting to press the attack if he could, the Uchiha swung a punch forwards….

….only for Naruto lean backwards and evade.

_He's just too fast._ thought Sasuke, swinging another punch which Naruto ducked before rolling behind Sasuke. _And he's got a huge amount of practice dodging attacks. I have to make him block and get him in a hold._

Sasuke leapt backwards in a twirling kick, making Naruto dodge again. However, he landed in a crouch and began his attack. He forced Naruto to leap over a sweep kick, then swung a fist upwards. In the air Naruto couldn't dodge as well, but managed to roll out of the way of the fist and right into the path of Sasuke's second kick. Since he was already moving in air there was no way to dodge and Sasuke waited for him to put his arms up to shield himself.

CRACK.

With a jolt Sasuke realized that his foot had connected directly with Naruto's face, knocking the boy to the ground. He stood stunned as the boy struggled to his knees, clutching his nose.

_No way._ Sasuke thought, dumbstruck. _He was more than fast enough to block that! Why didn't he?_

" Good, Sasuke." said Mizuki, walking over. Sasuke and the teacher noticed the blood pouring for Naruto's hands a second later. " Broken nose?" asked Mizuki, walking over. There was a muffled reply that sounded like a "No.", so Mizuki walked back over to the other students. Sasuke didn't know what to do. He'd won…but he hadn't thought he was going to hurt Naruto. The blonde moved his hands around for a moment and there was a popping crunch like bones being put back into place. He stood slowly and walked to the back of the crowd, which was watching him and Sasuke in shock.

Sasuke only caught a glimpse of the tears streaming from Naruto's eyes as he went and re-took his place in line.

The rest of the assessment went much better, with no further real injuries. The Hyuuga girl, Hinata, seemed pretty good at hand to hand, and Sasuke thought Kiba seemed tough too. The students had to go up three times each, and Sasuke won each time. Naruto, on the other hand, got odder in the next two fights. Though his nose was no longer bleeding he was still dazed and had a tougher time dodging. Sasuke was also surprised Naruto seemed to focus more on running away than attacking, and didn't seem to have any hand to hand skills at all.

Considering his skill at evasion, that was pretty strange.

When the lesson was over Kiba and Akamaru were the first to leave, racing away and leaving their backpack behind. The other students all left, chatting with their friends of racing home to see their parents. Sasuke noticed Naruto slinking away alone and decided to apologize.

" Hey." he said, walking over. The boy winced as he turned and saw Sasuke. " I'm sorry."

Naruto blinked.

" W-what?" asked the blonde, looking bewildered.

" I thought you were going to block that kick." Sasuke said, feeling embarrassed. " You were so good at dodging I figured you'd be fast enough to."

" Oh." said Naruto, looking to the ground. " Sorry."

" Why are you apologizing?" Sasuke asked, becoming confused himself. " You didn't do anything wrong."

The look Naruto gave him was unique. It was thankful and joyous, with the same layer of fear. It made Sasuke uneasy, like there was something he should have known.

" I have to go." he said, excusing himself. " See you tomorrow." Naruto waved goodbye as a smile cracked on his face.

Sasuke made his way home quickly, putting Naruto out of his mind. He was eager to tell his mother how impressed his teacher had been with him, and if he could, his father. He was greeted by the old man and woman who ran one of the restaurants in the Uchiha complex, but he didn't have time to stop and talk so he just waved. He threw the door open and took off his shoes and backpack and made his way into the kitchen, where his mother was usually making something or talking with a friend.

Mikoto was cutting carrots for a stew when he entered. She seemed to sense his excitement and asked him how things had gone, listening with a smile as he rattled though every compliment Mizuki had give him. When his father arrived home early his heart skipped a beat as he dared to hope that his father would ask how things had gone.

" Sasuke." said Fugaku, entering the kitchen. " Please come up to my study. I would like to talk."

Sasuke knew either his heart was going to stop or rip out of his chest. When there was a mission for their clan for Itachi, his father always asked him to come up to the study, exactly as he had just been asked. Not hesitating a second he raced upstairs behind his father, taking a seat as the door shut.

" It is unlikely you didn't notice Naruto Uzamaki today." said his father, taking a seat and facing Sasuke.

" Y-yeah." Sasuke said shakily. " I accidentally hurt him while we were sparing."

"…."

" How?" asked Fugaku, a slight smile playing on his lips.

" I think I broke his nose with a kick." said Sasuke tenderly. " But he did something and it sounded like he fixed the bone a few seconds later."

" Indeed." said his father with a nod. Sasuke couldn't believe it, but it seemed like his father…approved…of him hurting his classmate. " Oddly, our discussion is about him. Tell me, what all have you noticed about him?"

" Well…." said Sasuke, thinking. " He's really fast, good at dodging, the teachers hate him, he calls the Hokage ojiisan, and he seems like he's really scared of everyone."

" I am impressed." his father said in a honest tone. " I hadn't hoped you would be so attentive. I would like you to continue keeping an eye on him."

" Why?" Sasuke asked his father.

" The reasons are complicated." said his father, sounding like he did not wish to restrain his words. " And I cannot tell you. However, this is your first mission for the clan."

Sasuke's eyes bugged. _A mission…?_

" Naruto is a interesting….element in Kohona. He has the Hokage's eye always watching over him, making it impossible for anyone to gather the information I require on him." continued his father. " But as a child his age, you would not be stopped. I want you to continue to observe, and if possible, befriend the boy and try to learn the boys personality. Anything you can find out about him is important."

" I will do so, father." said Sasuke, bowing.

" I wish I would tell you why this is necessary." sighed Fugaku. " But half of it you are too young for and would not understand….and the other half is protected by the death penalty."

Sasuke was glad he was facing downwards so his father didn't see his surprise.

" Keep this in mind." said his father, finishing. " Nobody can know of this but us and this mission is as important as anything your brother and I have ever done…and perhaps more. Now go." he said, dismissing Sasuke. With another bow Sasuke left the room, but out of the corner of his eye he saw…on his fathers face…approval.

_I don't know why this is necessary and I don't care._ thought Sasuke. _A good ninja is not concerned with they why, only the how of a mission. I won't fail dad. _


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Sasuke was out of the house bright and early. His brother was on a mission and his parents busy, so there was nothing to keep the young boy contained. The cool morning air was invigorating to him as he raced towards the academy. He arrived at the playground, which was empty, so he went to the training ground and took out the three shuriken he had gotten when Itachi was done with them. They were worn and blunted, but they were good enough for training.

He had been doing target practice for nearly a hour when the other students began to arrive. They seemed impressed that he was already there training, but he decided he'd practiced enough and stopped. He talked to the Inuzuka for a while until he noticed Naruto arrive. The boy kept to the background as usual, avoiding everyone's gaze but Sasuke's. He had bruises on his cheeks and seemed to be walking with a slight limp in his right leg.

" Hey." said Sasuke, walking over. _I need to make friends with him, so time to start._ he thought.

" Hi." said Naruto, not looking to Sasuke.

" What happened to you?" asked Sasuke.

" I fell." Naruto replied quickly. Sasuke could tell it was a lie, since the bruises looked like he had been beaten up.

" No you didn't." said Sasuke. " Did you get into a fight or something?"

" Why do you care?" asked Naruto quietly.

" I donno." said Sasuke, seeing a opportunity. " 'Cause its weird to see a friend hurt?"

Naruto looked up to him quickly. Sasuke was shocked to see that one of Naruto's irises was bright red, similar to the Sharingan, but with a slit like center.

" Friend?" said Naruto shakily. " We're…friends?"

" Yeah." said Sasuke, acting like nothing was off. The red eye suddenly began to change color, returning to a normal blue.

" I have a friend." Naruto said, as if talking to himself. He quickly covered his eyes, seeming like he was fighting back tears. Sasuke, at this point, was so confused that it hurt his head. Why would having a friend be such a big thing?

Suddenly, he remembered Naruto's words from the day before. _He said we were all going to hate him. He didn't expect any friends._

" So…uh…." Naruto said, stumbling over the words and trying to recover. He was cut off, however, when Iruka opened the door and called for them to all come inside. Naruto joined Sasuke and the others in racing inside. Sasuke found his seat in the front row and focused. He was supposed to be there to observe Naruto, but he had to learn, too.

Though, after three hours of basic Kohona history, Sasuke felt rather learned-out.

" All right, out of here." said Iruka, shutting his textbook. " And grab your supply list by the door as you head to the practice field."

The students, eager to stretch, made their way to the door, grabbing the sheets of paper and heading to the field. Mizuki put them though what seemed a eternity, and even the rowdy Inuzuka was tired when they finished and began stretches. They worked though them, catching their breath, and then began beginning taijutsu, which was mostly stances. Mizuki was a good teacher, but Sasuke knew most of this stuff already. Other students, most notably Naruto, seemed to need the training, however, so Sasuke didn't complain. After more laps they were dismissed for the day, just as three o' clock came. Sasuke quickly spotted Naruto, who was looking over the supply list, and made his way to him.

" Hey." said Sasuke, getting Naruto's attention. " You want to go to the store and buy the supplies? I'd rather have someone to talk with on the way."

" S-sure!" said Naruto, quickly accepting. Sasuke was finding it almost too easy to manipulate Naruto, which was again, strange. " All that stuff sensei said today was really confusing." Naruto said as they walked out the gate. " A-about how the village was started and stuff."

" Yeah." said Sasuke with a nod. " I'd heard a lot of that stuff before and I thought it was still tough."

" You knew it already?" asked Naruto.

" Yeah." said Sasuke with a smile. " My clan, the Uchiha, were one of the two founding clans of the village."

" Oh yeah." said Naruto, looking like he had remembered hearing about that. The conversation went on as they walked, allowing Sasuke to get a good feel for Naruto's personality. Sasuke figured out why Naruto had accepted him so quickly. _If you kick a dog everyday, the first other person who's nice to it will get it's loyalty._ he thought.

Naruto was also very afraid of the villagers, the teachers, the other students….and the animals on the street like cats. They all hissed at him as he went past, so he kept his distance. Sasuke wasn't surprised he was afraid of everyone after a storekeeper had yelled at him just for walking by. Everyone and everything seemed to dislike Naruto.

" Here it is." said Sasuke, coming to the entrance of the weapon shop his brother had said was the best. Naruto seemed uneasy as they entered.

" Hi!" said the young girl behind the counter. She was about their age and had strange buns in her hair.

" Hey." said Sasuke. " We're hear to buy out supplies for school." He held up the list to prove it.

" Oh. Mom!" the girl called out. A middle aged woman came out of the back room When she saw Sasuke, her face lit up in a smile, but when she saw Naruto, it instantly turned to a scowl. She took their lists and began to fill two boxes with the supplies.

" So, first year at the academy?" asked the shop girl.

" Yeah." replied Sasuke with a nod. Naruto was standing quietly, trying to look inconspicuous…but with yellow hair and standing in the middle of a room, he failed miserably.

" I'm in my second." said the girl with a smile. " I'm Tenten."

" Nice to meet you." mumbled Sasuke. " Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, turning to Naruto.

" I'm trying to not get in trouble." Naruto replied quietly. Tenten and Sasuke stared at Naruto in confusion.

" Your not…" Tenten began, but her mother cut her off.

" Here you go." said the woman bluntly, handing them each the box of shuriken, kunai, and other ninja tools.

" Thanks." said Naruto, handing the woman a piece of paper and slinking out. Sasuke paid for his and noticed that the paper had the Hokage's stamp on it.

_The Hokage's paying for him?_ thought Sasuke as he walked out.

" Wow." said Naruto, looking through the box. He was seated behind a bush, out of the villagers view. He looked up as Sasuke came over. " I don't even know what most of these things are." he said, taking out a roll of wire.

" Why'd you leave?" asked Sasuke. He knew he shouldn't, but his curiosity got the better of him.

" I didn't want to get thrown out." said Naruto, standing up. " She was really nice to let me into the shop, so I didn't want to mess up."

" She wasn't nice letting you in." said Sasuke. " She's supposed to."

" Huh?"

Naruto and Sasuke were now both confused.

" If they don't let you in, how can you buy anything?" asked Sasuke, trying to solve the situation with logic. " They have to let you in."

" But they choose who comes in." Naruto explained. " Your families famous, so they wouldn't turn you away. They throw me out all the time because they don't want me."

" Why?" asked Sasuke. The more he pressed into Naruto's life the less made sense.

" Because." said Naruto with a shrug. Sasuke didn't find it very convincing, like Naruto was hiding something.

" So, want to go practice?" asked Sasuke, dropping the question.

" Really?" said Naruto excitedly. " That'd be great!"

" Come on!" said Sasuke, waving for Naruto to follow. They began to race back to the academy, which had a number of targets set up for them. They got most of the way there until a group of older kids leapt out and blocked their path.

" Hey, crybaby." said the oldest, looking to Naruto, who cowered in fear. " What do you got there? Is it for me?"

" Who's the other kid?" asked another of the boys. " Some other street trash?"

" Sasuke Uchiha." he said in a calm tone. The boys looked surprised, but then their eyes narrowed.

" No way a Uchiha would be hanging out with the freak." said the leader. " What, you another weirdo?"

" Huh?" asked Sasuke.

" You don't know?" asked the other boy. " The little freak lives in an apartment building near me, so I guess I noticed first. Every day in the morning he sneaks to the dumpster in the alley and hides a…"

" Shut up!" Naruto yelled loudly.

" Don't what him to find out?" said the boy with a laugh. " What, you his friend or something?"

" Leave or I'll beat the shit out of you." growled Sasuke. He didn't feel like dealing with these guys, and Naruto obviously didn't. _Though, they know some secret of his._ he thought, looking them over.

" I'm going to kick your…." began the leader, cocking his arm for a punch, but Sasuke was faster. He dropped the box and lunged in a kick, driving it into the boys stomach. The older boy was taller and heavier, but the force of the blow was enough to knock him over. As his friends helped him up Sasuke drew a shuriken.

" Next time I use this." he said, gesturing the weapon towards them. The older boys backed off and began to retreat. Sasuke turned and walked back to the stunned and thankful looking Naruto.

" They…they were gonna beat me up again." he said, dumbfounded. " But you stopped them."

" Yeah." said Sasuke with a nod. " Friends help each other."

" Hey, freak!" called back the retreating boy towards them. " Tell your stupid friend about the fox tails!"

_Fox tails?_ thought Sasuke, trying to hide his reaction as a look of panic went over Naruto's face.

" Let's go." said Sasuke, picking up his box and acting like nothing had happened. They walked in silence for a minute, but as the school came into view Naruto spoke up.

" Hey, follow me." said the boy quietly, running down a side street. Without questioning why Sasuke did, and after five more minutes of silence they were in a small copse of trees by the villages lake, far from anyone else. Naruto seemed to know the spot well and found a stump and sat down.

" I-I need to tell you something." said Naruto, looking nervous. " It's a secret. Only ojiisan and Mr. Dog know."

" Mr….Dog?" asked Sasuke. _Ojiisan means Hokage. Who's the other?_

" This guy who guards me sometimes. He has one of those animal masks and this one red eye."

_Kakashi…? The Sharingan Thief knows Naruto too?_

" I asked them not to tell anybody…." said Naruto, trailing off. " B-but I kinda want to. I've never had anyone to tell before."

_He completely trusts me._ thought Sasuke, his eyebrows raising. _That was quick!_

" Just…promise not to freak out?" said Naruto gingerly.

" Promise." said Sasuke.

" Every time I go to sleep, I wake up with a fox tail."

Sasuke looked at Naruto blankly.

" B-but I cut it off every morning." said Naruto squirming in his seat.

" Why does it grow in the first place?" asked Sasuke. He had a million other questions, but that one seeped most pertinent.

" Ojiisan won't tell me." Naruto said quietly. " But I know it's why everyone hates me."

" What's it like?" asked Sasuke.

" Huh?"

" Having a tail." said Sasuke, scratching the back of his head. He knew his father was going to want to hear about this, but it was taking some time to process though his mind. " What's it feel like?"

" Uh…." said Naruto, blinking. He had obviously had not expected Sasuke to react in this way. " It's like having an arm on your butt."

There was an awkward silence.

" Why do you cut it off?" asked Sasuke. " Doesn't it hurt?"

" Yeah." said Naruto, looking down. " I…I just…if I had a tail, even more people would notice me. I don't like being noticed because I get in trouble or beat up."

" Wow." said Sasuke, stunned. Naruto's life out and out sucked in every possible way. " Uh…." Sasuke didn't know what to say.

" Sorry." apologized Naruto. " I…I heard how friends share secrets and stuff so I wanted…wanted….."

" I understand." said Sasuke, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly. He looked up and noticed the sun was starting to get low. " Hey, I have to head home. Sorry."

" See ya tomorrow!" said Naruto. He waved as Sasuke left.

_I need to think about all this._ thought Sasuke as he walked through the streets. _He's got a tail. That sounds like part of some bloodline, but why would it be kept a secret? Kohona's proud of it's bloodlines. We've got more than any other village. _

…_.unless they hate him because he has a bloodline from another village. If his clan had killed a lot of our ninja, he wouldn't be liked. Uzamaki sounds like a Whirlpool country name, so I should look that up. But what use is a tail for a bloodline? And what was with his eyes? Two bloodline? Is that even possible? If he has eye techniques and some sort of physical bloodline, he'll be really strong someday. _

But, since this was all guesswork, Sasuke was no closer to the answer when he arrived home.

" How was school, sweetie?" his mother asked as he entered.

" Pretty good." Sasuke replied. " Is dad here?"

" He's talking with Itachi in his study." his mother called back. Sasuke walked up the stairs and went to the door to the study. He felt like he should report in as soon as possible. He heard talking inside, but he knocked anyways. There was a short silence as his father opened the door.

" We'll finish the report later, Itachi." said Fugaku, turning to the older brother, who looked rather surprised. It was rare for their father to stop one of the meetings. Itachi gave Sasuke a nod as he gathered up several sheets of paper and left the room. Sasuke saw a hint of congratulations in his eyes.

" I assume you have discovered something new?" asked his father, shutting the door.

" I did, dad." said Sasuke, taking a seat. " I'm Naruto's friend now."

" Indeed." said his father, sitting across from him.

" When he got to school he had been beaten up." Sasuke said, beginning to relate his discoveries. " And his eyes were red, like Sharingan but with different pupils."

" What?" Fugaku blurted, not hiding his surprise.

" I don't know why, but when I talked to him and suggested we be friends, his eyes went back to blue." Sasuke explained. His father sat back and took a brooding position, and for several second there was silence.

" This is quite the discovery." said his father.

" There's more." said Sasuke excitedly. " After school three older boys tried to attack him. I beat one and they left, but they yelled something about foxes tails as they left."

Fugaku was now looking at Sasuke with his full and undivided attention.

" Naruto trusts me. I don't think he's ever had a friend before. So he took me to where nobody could hear us and he told me a secret. He has a tail he has to cut off every morning because it keeps growing back."

" A foxes tail?" his father said, sitting back.

" Yeah. And it grows back while he's asleep." said Sasuke. " I think it's some sort of bloodline."

" This is…fortunate." said his father, giving him an approving look. " I must admit, I didn't expect this much in two days. You are truly my son."

A warm rush flowed through Sasuke's veins. He had been waiting for his father to say that for years, but it was only reserved for Itachi.

" Keep this to yourself." said his father, standing up. " And tomorrow, when you get home from school, we will begin training."

" Training?" asked Sasuke.

" Our clans fire jutsu." said Fugaku, opening the door. " You have earned the right to begin learning them."

" But you didn't teach Itachi until he was nine." Sasuke said, wide eyed.

" He didn't earn the right until then." said his father. " You may not have his genius as combat, but you have proved yourself useful. You seem to have the charisma Itachi lacks, which could serve you as a diplomat for the clan."

Sasuke's heart fell. _He doesn't think I can be a ninja…_

" Though, you have the skill to become a great ninja as well." said Fugaku, ruffling Sasuke's hair. Sasuke smiled as he looked up at his father, spirits returning." Now go. Dinners almost ready."

Joyously, the young Uchiha ran downstairs.

After dinner, in which Fugaku had been unusually focused on his younger son, Sasuke was going towards his room when Itachi stopped him and motioned for him to follow. His older brother took them outside, where they sat on the deck to talk.

" I do not know what it entails," began Itachi " But I know you are performing a duty for the clan."

" Yeah!" said Sasuke excitedly as his brother gave him a smile.

" And father thinks your doing a good job." continued Itachi. " So I know your doing a good job. But, there is something you must consider. While most missions for the our clan benefit Kohona, since we possess it's foremost bloodline, some do not."

" Huh?" asked Sasuke.

" Like all clans…the Uchiha are involved in a number of petty squabbles." said Itachi, frowning. " And sometimes, father puts the Uchiha ahead of others. We may seek to increase our station by weakening others. You must decide, in these situations, if the Uchiha truly deserve to become more powerful if we are still bound by same limits as everyone else."

" It's not like that." said Sasuke.

" But it is something you should know, little brother." said Itachi, returning to normal. " Don't be blinded by the small goals of the Uchiha."

Sasuke nodded. _Any advice that Itachi gives has got to be good._ he thought as he stood up. _I'll make sure I follow it._


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Sasuke and Naruto got seats by each other in class. Most of the students had moved next to their friends, so the teachers didn't mind.

" Hey, after school today can you show me how to throw those weapons things?" Naruto asked before the lesson began.

" Sorry, my dads going to be training me tonight." Sasuke apologized. " I think we'll be doing it in class though."

" Alright!" said Iruka, drawing the classes attention. " Today we are going to learn the first and most important ninjutsu you will ever know."

" Does it blow stuff up?" asked Kiba excitedly.

" No." sighed Iruka. " It's the Henge technique. It allows you to disguise yourself as something else."

" Really?" Naruto blurted. " How? How?" A number of people looked confused at Naruto's interest.

" Why do you want to learn a useless jutsu like that?" asked Kiba. " It's not like looking like some else would help you win a fight."

"B-but I could disguise myself so nobody knows who I am!" Naruto said loudly, forgetting himself. " That way I could go buy groceries whenever I wanted 'cause they wouldn't know it was me! And I could hide a lot easier! Hey, hey, sensei, can the jutsu make you look like a rock or something? I heard this ninja guy talking about how he hid as a rock to escape someone and I thought that'd be a awesome trick!"

Iruka looked dumbfounded. Here, the one student he didn't seem to like was the most eager to be taught.

" It can." he sighed. " The Henge jutsu uses chakra to alter your form, allowing you to become something else for a short time. It lasts as long as you have chakra to keep the transformation going and the focus to maintain the change. It is the lowest form of genjutsu."

" So why are you teaching us something so weak?" asked Ino.

" Because it's one of a ninja's most vital techniques." said Sasuke, speaking up. " My brother taught me that any ninja needs to have taijutsu, stealth, and the three basic ninjutsu, which are the Henge jutsu, the Replacement jutsu, and the Clone jutsu."

" Well said." said Iruka nodding to him. " By the time you become a genin you will have all of those skills, which are the requirements. Everything past that you choose to learn."

" So can we start?" asked Naruto, practically vibrating in his seat.

Iruka showed them the hand seals and instructed them on the basics of chakra manipulation. Sasuke and some of the others already knew a little of that, but most didn't have any experience so Iruka began by teaching them that. He placed a leaf on each of their foreheads and told them how to focus a little bit of chakra to make the leaf float.

After a half hour, the only Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura had accomplished anything. _Hinata's clan uses chakra projection with their taijutsu._ thought Sasuke. _It makes sense she'd be good at it._ Most of the others, however, were only able to make the leaf fly off or curl up. Sasuke had done the exercise before, so it was only a matter of how long he could keep the leaf floating.

" It will take a long time for you to master these techniques." said Iruka as they returned to their seats. " Until you have the chakra control necessary to perform the jutsu, continue to practice the hand seals every day."

" Hey, sensei…." said Naruto. He seemed to have more courage today. " What is chakra anyways?"

" It's a mixture of spiritual energy and your bodies energy." Iruka explained. " It's always there, flowing through your body. A ninja uses it as a weapon and tool. Sorry to do this, but it's now time for our history and geography."

The students collectively groaned.

_Must….stay awake._ thought Sasuke, eyes drooping as Iruka moved on to the history of the Hokage's tower. They were learning the landmarks of the village an why they were important historical places. The Valley of the End seemed interesting, but most places…not so much.

He looked to the side. Naruto had been the third to fall asleep in class, since Shikamaru didn't even try to stay awake and Kiba didn't have to attention span. The girls were all awake and taking copious notes. Sasuke knew he should be too….but young boys don't really care that much.

" Iruka boring you all?" interrupted Mizuki, leaning through the door.

" Yeah." replied Choji as Shikamaru began to snore.

" Well, it's time to run around. Come on!" he said, opening the door and gesturing to them. Iruka sighed and marked his place in the history book as the students began to wake up and leave. Sasuke turned tp say something to Naruto and noticed that his friend had gone pale, as if something was scaring him.

" What's wrong?" he asked.

" S-sensei?" Naruto asked Iruka. " I-I kinda need to…stay in."

" You need to do the exercises." said Iruka with a frown.

" J-just give me a moment until everyone leaves." said Naruto quietly as he squirmed in his seat. Sasuke notice he seemed to be trying to hide something.

_He fell asleep._ thought Sasuke, eyes widening. _The tail grows when he's asleep._

" Naruto, just get…"

" Sensei." said Sasuke, cutting Iruka off. " Just wait a minute." Iruka sighed and closed the door once all the other students were gone. He looked confused when Naruto began to edge out of his seat, hiding the bulge in the back of his pants as best he could.

" Do y-you have a kunai I could use?" Naruto asked.

" Naruto, what is…going…" Iruka trailed off as he noticed the tip of the tail sticking out of the leg of Naruto's shorts. There was a look of panic in his eyes.

" Here." said Sasuke, drawing his. He kept the required number of weapons on him at all times so he'd get used to them.

" What's going on?" asked Iruka, leaning against his desk for support.

" You can't tell anyone." said Sasuke as Naruto ran into the bathroom. " When he falls asleep he grows a tail."

" Is…is the…" he began to ask something, but trailed off and shook his head. " No, the Hokage told me it wasn't."

" Do you know what's going on?" asked Sasuke as a cry of pain came from the bathroom.

" Not as well as I thought." said Iruka as Naruto returned to the room with the tail.

" I need to throw this away." said Naruto quietly.

" I'll put it in the incinerator." said Iruka, holding the trash can out for Naruto. He seemed nervous as Naruto put the tail into the bag. " Are…you…okay?" he asked, not seeming as angry with Naruto as usual.

" Yeah. The cut heals pretty quick." said Naruto, looking down. " I won't fall asleep again."

" You two should go join the others." said Iruka, opening the door. Sasuke and Naruto left wordlessly, leaving the teacher alone.

They had only missed ten laps, so they joined right in. After the exhausting run they did the stretches and recapped the basic form drill from the day before. However, Mizuki added a lesson on how to throw shuriken, going over the proper wrist movements and how to direct the weapon.

" You should practice with weapons on your own time." said Mizuki as they threw the blades at the targets. Sasuke scored his third bullseye as he walked past. " Though, it seems some of you already have. Good shot, Sasuke."

" Thanks." he replied, letting the next one fly.

" This is really hard." said Naruto as his shuriken bounced off the log.

" You need to let it go with more of a flick." said Sakura, who as beside them with her friend Ino. The two girls always seemed to be near Sasuke. " Like this." She threw the blade which sailed twenty feet and thudded into the wood, just a inch left of the center.

" Thanks!" said Naruto with a smile. He tried again and though he hit the edge of the target, he at least got it to stick in.

" Your pretty good." Sasuke said to Sakura. " Did you already learn this stuff?"

" N-no." said Sakura, blushing. " I read about it."

" Wow." said Sasuke, blinking. " And the leaf exercise?"

" That too." said Sakura with a nod. " I'm good at learning from books."

" It's because she's got a big brain behind that forehead." Ino teased. Sakura barked back a taunt of her own and the girls began to squabble. A drop of sweat rolled down Sasuke's cheek as he returned to his practice.

" All right, that's enough." said Mizuki, ending the practice. " We're going to hold a little competition now to see who can hit the target the most. Whoever wins is excused from the extra ten laps were going to do because Naruto was late."

" Sasuke was late too." said Shikamaru with a sigh. " And since he's the best, he's going to win. Why are you doing something so troublesome?"

" When you compete with others, you can do better that usual." said Mizuki, annoyed that Shikamaru had pointed out his favoritism. " Having a rival to practice against is one of the best ways for a ninja to grow stronger."

" Fine." sighed the lazy boy. " But Sasuke's going to win."

And, after four rounds, Sasuke did indeed win.

" All right, you can take a rest." said Mizuki. " Everyone else, ten laps!"

Sasuke got a lot of odd looks as he began the run with everyone else.

" You won." panted Choji. The pudgy boy was not very past. " You can sit out."

" I need to keep practicing." said the determined Uchiha. " If I don't, I won't get stronger."

" Then you should have let someone else win." grumbled Kiba. " I'd like a break."

" Hey, Sasuke." interrupted Naruto. " That last throw, how'd you get the shuriken curve like that?"

" My brother showed me how to arc them. It's pretty easy." said Sasuke. " Don't throw them flat and they turn as they fly."

" Cool." said Naruto. Sasuke got the feeling his friend was going to be practicing the trick tonight.

After then laps they were dismissed, so Sasuke raced home as fast as his tired body would let him. Panting and gasping, the aching puddle of muscles that was Sasuke crawled into his house and took a seat in the kitchen, where his mother gave him a glass of water.

" So, I heard you have a new friend." said his mother with a smile. " I was talking with Ms. Yamanaka at the flower shop today and she says her daughter saw you talking with a boy named Naruto."

" Yeah." Sasuke replied, gulping down the water.

" That's good." she said, giving him a smile. " He doesn't have many people there for him, does he?"

" No." he said, putting down the glass.

" I'm glad you and he are friends." she said as his father entered.

" Are you ready, Sasuke?" Fugaku asked.

" Yeah!" said the young Uchiha, leaping to his feet. His father took him down towards the dock of the Uchiha clans private lake, having Sasuke tell him what had happened that day. The young boy blabbered on, leaving nothing out, as they went. His father nodded and listened until they were at the end of the pier.

" This is where you will practice the Grand Fireball jutsu, or clans signature attack." said his father, looking out onto the lake. " There is nothing that you can damage, so it is the ideal location."

Sasuke blinked in shock. The Grand Fireball jutsu was way beyond his level of skill.

" These are the hand seals." said his father, showing them to Sasuke. "Focus the chakra into your throat and breath out the flames."

Determinedly, Sasuke formed the seals and expelled the largest burst of chakra he could…creating a puff of flame as large as a fist, which quickly snuffed out.

" Continue to practice." said his father, turning and walking away. " And tell me when you have mastered it."

Sasuke had hoped to spend more time with his father but tried to keep his spirits aloft. He continued to try the jutsu but didn't make any progress he could see. When he was too tired to continue he returned home, where he ate dinner quietly. Itachi was gone and his parents talked with each other, so they didn't mind him. After dinner he bathed and plopped down in bed, where he fell asleep instantly.

The next morning at school Sasuke noticed Naruto seemed incredibly proud of himself.

" What's up?" he asked as he took his seat.

" I practiced with shuriken and the Henge jutsu last night." said Naruto, smiling widely. " And I got a lot better."

" Well, I started learning a jutsu that lets me create a giant fireball." said Sasuke competitively.

" Yeah? I can do this! Sexy Jutsu!" cried Naruto, forming a modified Henge jutsu just as Iruka entered. The class gasped as a blast of smoke hid Naruto from view, fading away and revealing…

…a beautiful nude woman in a suggestive pose.

The boys went down with nosebleeds instantly. Sasuke could feel the blush burning on his cheeks as he sat up and Naruto reverted back to normal, laughing uproariously.

" **What was that?**_**" **_said a dark voice behind him. Naruto turned and found the girls of the class standing there, looking angry.

" A joke." said Naruto with a nervous laugh. " I thought it would be funny."

" You pervert!" shouted Sakura, bopping him on the head hard. " Don't do stupid stuff like that!"

" I agree." said Iruka, who had stuffed tissues in his nose to deal with the bleeding. " You shouldn't misuse the Henge jutsu."

" Fine." sighed Naruto. " But do I get points for being able to use the jutsu?"

" Try turning into someone…clothed." said Iruka gingerly. Naruto formed the jutsu again and another puff of smoke revealed a rather poor, discolored imitation of Sasuke.

" Why was your other one better?" asked Sasuke. " I meant it looked more real!" he backpedaled as he realized what he had said.

" I donno." said Naruto, returning to normal. " That one's just easier."

" That was good for such a early attempt." said Iruka, looking a little impressed. " You practiced it?"

" For like five hours." said Naruto with a laugh. " I got Ojiisan with the Sexy jutsu twice."

" You pervert!" shouted on of the girls. Sasuke could only laugh as Naruto dodged a eraser one of them threw in wrath. _Girls are scary._ he decided.

After that they practiced chakra control. Sasuke could almost get the Henge jutsu to work, but he hadn't practiced. Naruto was leading there, for the moment. As before Iruka launched into the history and geography, and within minutes the class was dozing. Sasuke cringed when he saw Naruto hadn't managed to stay awake. He knew it would be best not to say anything or wake Naruto up, so he kept quiet and listened to the lesson as best he could. Iruka noticed Naruto as well and gave Sasuke a significant look and a nod. _All we have to do is do what we did yesterday,_ thought Sasuke, sitting back.

Then the door slid open.

" Is there a Naruto Uzamaki in here?" asked a woman in a nurses uniform.

" Yeb." said Naruto, sitting up and rubbing drool from his chin. " Wadd…what do you want?"

" There's a inoculation you've missed." said the nurse though a forced smile. " You need to come get it."

"…."

" As in needles?" said Naruto gingerly.

" Yes." said the woman with a nod. Naruto sighed and jumped out of his chair, walking across the room towards the door.

" Ha! He crapped himself!" laughed Kiba, pointing to the bulge.

" No he didn't." said Sakura, wide eyed. She, unlike the dog boy, had seen the tail poking out of the bottom of Naruto's shorts. A look of dawning comprehension crossed Naruto's face, then terror.

He gave a little squeak as he put his hand behind him and affirmed the tail was there.

" What is that?" asked Sakura. She never got a response as Naruto bolted from the room, pushing past the nurse. Iruka yelled for him to stop, but Sasuke acted. The young Uchiha leapt from his seat and dashed after his fleet-footed friend. Naruto was almost out of sight as Sasuke ran though the gate of the academy, but he knew exactly where Naruto was going.

Five minutes later, he stumbled into the wooded clearing, out of breath. He found Naruto sobbing into his hands and leaning against a tree.

" Naruto!" cried Sasuke as he jogged over. " Why'd you run?"

" Everyone saw." replied Naruto weakly. " They saw that stupid tail. Everyone knows I'm a freak now."

" Come on." said Sasuke. " I knew, and I don't think you're a freak."

" Your different!" shouted Naruto. Sasuke noticed his eyes were red again. " Your like old man Hokage! Nobody else is nice to me but you two!"

" Iruka helped you yesterday." said Sasuke as Naruto stopped. " And nobody in the class hates you."

" Yeah they do. I see their eyes." said Naruto, looking downwards. " Like Hinata…she can't even look at me. She gets all scared and looks away."

" I don't think she's scared of you." said Sasuke, sweat dropping.

" Yeah she is." Naruto said stubbornly. " And now that she knows I'm a freak…"

" Naruto! Naruto!"

Iruka's voice rang out though the woods. Naruto looked in the direction it had came from in shock.

" Naruto, if your out here, answer me!" he shouted again. They saw him stumble though the trees near them, getting a relieved look on his face when he saw Naruto. " You can't run off like that." he gasped, walking over and taking a seat.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's eyes shift back to blue.

" Sorry, sensei." Naruto said, a wide smile crossing his face. " You came to look for me?"

" Well, yeah." said Iruka, giving him a nod. " I can' have my prize student running off."

_Prize student?_ thought Sasuke, eyes going wide.

" You're the only one who seems really excited about the ninjutsu I'm teaching, and you're the first to get it to work…in a way." continued Iruka with a sigh. " And the Hokage told me to watch out for you, so I don't want to let him down either."

" So…um….how'd everyone react?" asked Naruto, rubbing the back of his head.

" I left them with Mizuki." said Iruka." They were all talking about the tail and why you left, so I wasn't going to be able to teach them anything else."

" Sorry." said Naruto, looking bashful.

" Not a problem." said Iruka, giving him a forgiving look. He then turned to Sasuke. " You found him pretty quick."

" I knew where he was going." explained Sasuke.

" Good job anyways." said Iruka, standing up. " You two ready to head back to class?"

" One second." said Naruto, drawing a kunai.

" You don't need to cut that off anymore." suggested Sasuke. " You might as well keep it."

" Yeah…." said Naruto, looking unconvinced. " But it doesn't fit."

Five minutes of Iruka showing of exceptional and highly unmanly sewing skills, they returned to the training ground, the bushy fox tail sticking out the back of Naruto's shorts. Naruto waved sheepishly as he and Sasuke walked over to where the rest of the students had gathered.

" Why do you have a tail?" asked Sakura bluntly the moment they were within earshot.

" Is it real?" asked someone.

" I bet it's fake!"

" Your pulling a prank, right?"

" Why else did he run off?"

" Bloodline." said Naruto with a glance to Sasuke. Sasuke had suggested the lie as cover up, and as far as they knew it was true.

" Really?" said Sakura. " Why'd you run off?"

Naruto turned and pointed to the little hole the tail was coming from.

" I didn't have the right pants."

Everyone sweat dropped.

" You ran off for that? How troublesome." moaned Shikamaru. " I thought it was something important."

" A bloodline is important." said Choji, munching down a sandwich. " What's it do?"

" This." said Naruto, pointing to the tail.

" Lame bloodline." said Shikamaru.

At that point, everyone became of Hinata, because she was vibrating like she was going to explode.

" Uh…hey." said Naruto, looking to her.

There was the sound of a sonic boom as "Kawaii!" rung out, Hinata unable to keep it back any longer. As everyone blinked, their ears ringing, Hinata fainted with a little happy smile.

There was an awkward silence.

" What's going on?" asked Mizuki, coming over.

" Hinata just freaked out when she saw Naruto's tail." blabbed Ino. Mizuki's head spun to Naruto, who he gave a fearful look.

" S-shuriken practice!" stammered Mizuki, pointing to the targets. The students all went over, confused by their teacher, who sat down and began to calm down. Hinata woke a few seconds later, sat up, saw Naruto, and fainted again.


End file.
